As a method for manufacturing semiconductor chips in which a supporting member is attached to a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is processed, and thus, the supporting member is separated therefrom, a method described in PTL 1 is known. In the method described in PTL 1, a light-transmitting supporting member and a semiconductor wafer are attached through a photothermal conversion layer and an adhesive layer provided on the supporting member side, the semiconductor wafer is processed, and then, radiant energy irradiation is performed from the supporting member side to decompose the photothermal conversion layer, whereby the semiconductor wafer is separated from the supporting member.